IJN represented the family of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani mother of three who is currently imprisoned by the US Government in Texas. Dr. Siddiqui alleges that after she and her children were abducted and separated in Karachi, Pakistan in 2003, she was held in secret captivity for over five years. IJN was instrumental in the return of two Siddiqui children. One child is still missing.

IJN represented the family of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani mother of three who is currently imprisoned by the US Government at FMC Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Siddiqui was convicted of criminal charges related to an incident in which she was shot by US soldiers, allegedly in self-defense, while in police custody in Afghanistan. Her trial, which took place in US federal court in New York, left unanswered important questions about her case – including the circumstances of her disappearance from Karachi, Pakistan in 2003.

At the request of Dr. Siddiqui’s family, IJN monitored legal developments and conducted extensive factual research to shed light on the true facts surrounding her mysterious disappearance in 2003, and the events that followed. IJN attorneys attended all court proceedings related to the criminal charges brought against Dr. Siddiqui in the United States, reviewed court records and legal documents related to her case, and spoke with the criminal defense attorneys appointed to represent her at trial. IJN also reviewed and analyzed thousands of pages of confidential documents, interviewed dozens of witnesses in several countries, and met with Pakistani government officials in both the United States and Pakistan regarding her case.

IJN's report Aafia Siddiqui: Just the Facts summarizes some of IJN’s initial findings. Citations to documents and authorities have been purposely withheld where appropriate in order to protect the identity of witnesses and other confidential information.

IJN’s investigation revealed shocking new evidence that contradicted the repeated claims of the US and Pakistani governments that Dr. Siddiqui was not detained in their custody prior to July 2008. IJN obtained witness testimony and a secret audio recording of statements made by the Superintendent of Police of Sindh Province about his own personal involvement with the apprehension of Dr. Siddiqui and her three children from Karachi, Pakistan in March 2003. The recording, which was not made or solicited by IJN, was authenticated by witness testimony and other corroborating evidence.

The great weight of the additional witness testimony and documentary evidence obtained by IJN through other sources is also consistent with the Superintendent's account. All available evidence indicates that Dr. Siddiqui, along with her three small children, were initially arrested in March 2003 with the knowledge and cooperation of local authorities in Karachi, Pakistan, and subsequently interrogated by Pakistani military intelligence (ISI) and US intelligence agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Today, Dr. Siddiqui’s mental and physical health continues to deteriorate. She is suffering alone – thousands of miles away from her children, family, and country – in solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison in Fort Worth, Texas. Her trial in the United States left unanswered the very questions which must be examined in order for the truth to be revealed and justice to be served.